


The Blood of Innocents

by OhanaHoku



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Again, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Arthur is not fat, Blood, Death, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Heavy Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Magic, Off-Screen Execution, Off-screen Child Death, Post-Season/Series 03, Pre-Season/Series 04, camelot is cursed, let's make that a tag, not as bad as the tags make it sound
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-26
Updated: 2020-03-21
Packaged: 2020-09-27 10:50:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20406505
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OhanaHoku/pseuds/OhanaHoku
Summary: When Agravaine executes a child thought to have magic in Arthur's name, the consequences are greater than any of them could have imagined.





	1. Stains in the Courtyard

**Author's Note:**

> New story! I hope you all enjoy this newest idea of mine. :.:\\(^.^)/:.:
> 
> Trigger Warnings: Blood, Death of a Child, Execution. (The execution is not described, only the aftermath. For anyone squeamish, please read with caution.)

“I am not fat, Merlin!” Arthur protested as they approached the courtyard gates on horseback.

“I didn’t say you were fat,” Merlin said. “All I said was if you had been a little lighter on your feet you would have gotten that deer. Though, I suppose, if you did lose a few pounds you would be lighter…” He said, trailing off a grin on his face, quite cheerful from the fact that their hunting trip had proven fruitless.

“And I suppose a few hours in the stocks would make you much quieter.” Arthur rebutted, smirking as he looked over at him.

The smile fell off of Merlin’s face as he gave Arthur a mock glare. The knights behind them shared amused grins as they listened to the usual banter.

The light-hearted scene was rudely interrupted as Gwen ran up to them, her chest heaving. “Arthur! Arthur, you have to stop him!”

Arthur glanced up as she called him, the laughter leaving his face as he heard her frantic call. He looked down at her as she came to stand beside his horse, opening his mouth to ask what she meant.

But no sooner than he had opened his mouth, the noon bell rang, and a loud, terrified scream filled the courtyard. It barely lasted a second before it cut off with the sound of a loud thud much like… Like…

Arthur urged his horse forward, wishing that what he expected to see when he entered the courtyard was not what he would see. Surely he couldn’t have heard what he thought he heard. It wasn’t a child’s scream he’d heard. _ It wasn’t. _

Followed by his knights, the regent king galloped into the courtyard, not noticing that a certain knight stayed behind, gripping his manservant’s arm to steady the boy as he hunched over in his saddle, his face deathly white.

*************************

“What is this?” Arthur asked angrily, his voice deeper than usual, strained against his barely contained rage.

His uncle turned and smiled as Arthur strode into the Council Chambers. “Arthur, you’re back. How did your hunting trip go?” He asked with an all too easy smile as if the man hadn’t only just had a child put to death.

“That is not important.” He said through clenched teeth, fists clenching before he forced himself to calm down. “I’ll ask again, what is this?”

“Ah, well, if you’ll excuse me, Arthur. Since you were gone, I didn’t think you’d object to the council meeting to discuss some matters of the lower tow-”

“That is not what I meant,” Arthur muttered, cutting him off. His gaze traveled to the other council members gathered around the table. How many of them had supported Agravaine without question? Had even one of them stood up to his uncle?  
  
His stare slid back to his uncle’s face. “Just what did you think you were doing by killing the boy?” He demanded, voice as cold as steel and eyes burning with rage hotter than a flame.

Agravaine bristled at the question. “What do you mean, Arthur? Surely, you understand that I was protecting Camelot.”

“From a six-year-old boy? Are you implying that Camelot’s defenses are so weak that a child of six could take her down?” He questioned. Such a thought was absolutely ridiculous.

His uncle clearly wasn’t ready for such a question. “A six-year-old boy with magic!” He insisted, sounding flustered.

“A boy who _ supposedly _ had magic! You didn’t even hold a trial, Uncle! Can you not see how utterly wrong that is?” He asked, brow furrowing. How could the man not see how appalling his decision was?

He shook his head, facing the members of the court. “From this moment forward, until my father is well enough to resume his role as king, any and all accusations of sorcery will be brought to me personally. No judgement shall be passed on them unless I have found them guilty after a fair trial.”

The council members nodded, bowing their heads to the regent king with a murmur of assent.

Agravaine looked away briefly before looking back at Arthur as if he had barely resisted rolling his eyes. “Arthur, really. Don’t you think you’re overreacting just a little? Your father had no qualms over the age of sorcerers.”

Arthur narrowed his eyes and stepped up to his uncle, leaning in close. “I am not my father. I warn you, Uncle, you are walking a thin line, and if you wish to stay in my good graces, then you had best watch your step.” He hissed.

Agravaine nodded, bowing his head respectfully. “Of course, Arthur. I apologize for overstepping my authority.” He murmured.

Arthur returned the nod and stepped back. “Merlin.” He called, turning to face his manservant. Or rather, turning to look where his manservant should be.

He faced his knights, noting that Lancelot was not among them. “Where’s Merlin?”

“I suppose he’s still in the courtyard, Sire. I didn’t see him follow us in.” Leon answered. “I believe Lancelot is with him as well.”

Arthur’s brow furrowed, and he glanced at Gwaine. The knight gave him a shrug, though he looked a little worried. About Merlin, no doubt. It was no secret that Merlin hated executions, and the scene in the square had been quite jarring.

_ Children crying in terror, their mothers shedding quiet tears of their own as they grabbed their children and cowered away from the regent king, fear frozen on their faces. The stone-faced executioners carrying a large wicker basket away from the scene as blood dripped through the weave onto the stone. The bright red trail that stained the square, mocking Arthur as he passed, the innocent blood almost seeming to cry out from the ground. _

Arthur shook his head, ridding his mind of the gruesome images. “Well, let’s go find them then.” He said, leading his knights back to the square.

The first thing he noticed when he stepped outside was how abandoned the square felt. The people had fled, leaving the courtyard empty, save for a knight and a servant.

Lancelot was kneeling. Merlin looked more like he had collapsed, his legs folded beneath him and his arms limp in his lap as he stared with unwavering focus at the blood slowly dripping down the edge of the platform.

It looked like Lancelot was trying to talk to him, but in his shocked stupor, none of the knight’s words seemed to be getting through. Lancelot looked up as they drew near, getting up and coming to stand in front of his prince. “I’ve tried talking to him, but…” He shrugged, looking over his shoulder at Merlin. “I don’t think he’s hearing me right now.”

Arthur nodded, a slight look of dismay in his eyes as he watched his servant, his friend. “I’ll talk to him.” He said, stepping around Lancelot.

The knight grabbed his arm, holding him back for a moment. “I did manage to get one thing out of Merlin. He knew the boy.” He told Arthur, holding his gaze as the words sunk in.

Arthur’s eyes widened, his heart sinking low in his chest. Handling the matter would not be easy, even if Merlin hadn’t known the boy. The fact that he did just made things so much worse. He nodded, staying silent as Lancelot clapped his shoulder and left him to it, the older man probably going to distract Gwaine so Arthur could talk to him without any interference.

The prince took a brief moment to watch Merlin, asking himself just how he was going to deal with him. No brilliant answers came to mind, so he just walked over and sat down next to the young man. He glanced around for a moment, thankful that the square was empty. A prince sitting on the ground with a servant would surely look a fool.

Things were quiet for a few minutes before Merlin spoke, his gaze still fixed on the red fluid. “His name was Brennis.” He said softly, the prince turning to look at him. “He liked to hang around the stables. He loved the horses.”

Arthur lowered his eyes, an ache of remorse in his chest. Merlin had lost a friend. At least he wasn’t crying, Arthur never knew how to handle tears.

The thought gave him pause. Merlin wasn’t crying. Merlin _ wasn’t _ crying. Merlin, who cried over a unicorn, who cried over the death of a traitorous _ dragonlord _ and _ sorcerer _ , wasn’t crying. _ Why wasn’t Merlin crying? _

Was he so aggrieved that he was mourning the boy’s death on a level deeper than crying? Or was he simply so stunned that he hadn’t processed it?

“I’m sorry.” Arthur swallowed when his voice came out hoarse. “I should have been able to stop this. I should have-”

“No.” Merlin finally looked away from the platform, fixing Arthur with that resolute stare of his, the one he got whenever he said something strangely wise or encouraging. He shook his head. “This was not your fault, Arthur. No,” He insisted as Arthur tried to protest. “This wasn’t your fault, so don’t apologize. This was your uncle’s doing, not you. You may be regent king, but you are not king yet. I know what that means.”

Arthur blinked, his eyes stinging as guilt swelled in his chest. How did Merlin always know what Arthur needed to hear? How did he always know how Arthur felt before even Arthur himself knew?

He did feel guilty. He hated that such a loathsome thing had happened in his kingdom. Of course, he wasn’t the king yet, but he was the regent. Surely that should stand for something, right? How could he have let this happen? Why was he out on a pointless hunting trip instead of at the castle where he was needed to ensure the safety of his people?

A small crease formed between his eyebrows as he fought back the emotional swell, looking away for a moment before Merlin continued.

“And I know, that one day when you are king, things will be different.” Merlin told him, eyes suspiciously bright. “I believe in the world that you are going to make, Arthur. A world where this,” He gestured with an outflung arm to the platform, his eyes never straying from Arthur’s, “will never happen again. I know that you will bring peace to this kingdom. I have never doubted that for a second.”

Something warm replaced his guilt at that moment, a feeling akin to relief, but leaning more toward gratitude in the faith Merlin had in him. His friend’s unwavering loyalty shocked the young regent king once again. How Merlin could have so much conviction that Arthur would make a good king, he’d never know. But his loyalty was the one thing that Arthur had come to depend on more than anything else, and he would do his utmost to live up to Merlin’s belief in him.

He nodded a little. “I can’t. I can’t change the laws my father put in place. I can’t prevent any children from dying if they have magic. I cannot outlaw child executions, not while my father is still alive and the true king of Camelot. But I can make sure that from now on everyone gets a fair trial. By me, personally.”

Merlin’s face showed several emotions in sequence, ranging from disappointment to anger to pride to something that Arthur couldn’t quite place. He nodded. “Enough innocents have died.” He murmured in agreement, eyes flicking away from Arthur’s.

The young prince puzzled over the statement for a moment. It seemed an odd way of stating that he agreed with Arthur’s course of action, but he dismissed it. He stood, frowning at the bloodstains. “Come on, you can draw my bathwater after I get someone to clean this up.” He muttered, looking away from the sickening sight.

Merlin stood slowly and shook his head. “No. I’ll do it.” He told him, voice quiet and strained.

Arthur looked back at him. “Merlin, you don-”

“I said, I’ll do it.” Merlin snapped angrily, sending Arthur a glare. The prince jolted as he realized Merlin was crying. His servant’s thin frame was trembling lightly, his eyes sliding away to look at the blood on the ground, lips pressed together.

Arthur exhaled, nodding. He hated himself for what he was about to do.

He strode forward and slung an arm around Merlin’s shoulders, dragging him along. “Well, then we’d better get to it.”

Merlin was so surprised that for a moment, the haunted look on his face disappeared. “What?”

“I said we should get started. You know, grab some buckets and brushes and clean the mess up.”

“You said we,” Merlin informed him, his voice still quieter than usual, though a small spark of something positive lit his face.

“Yes, Merlin. Did you not understand? Should I explain it? We means that you and I together are going to clean the square. You get it now?” He teased.

Merlin stared at him, disbelieving. His eyes welled with more tears that he quickly brushed away. “Thank you, Arthur.” He whispered, ducking his head.

Arthur just grinned and pulled him along. “Come on.”

*************************

And that was how Camelot came to see her prince that day, down on both knees, scrubbing away the blood of an innocent child with vengeful fervor, right alongside his servant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word Count - 2222. If you guys liked this story then you might like my others! I have two other Merlin fics I'm writing right now, so please feel free to check them out. Let me know how you think the first chapter of this is, I'd love to hear your thoughts!


	2. Loyalty by Faith

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the people panicking and his authority being questioned, Arthur gathers the council to assemble a plan of action.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A new chapter, so soon? Yep! Thank you all for the comments on the last chapter, I hope you'll enjoy this one as well!
> 
> TW: Mention of the child's execution.

Arthur groaned as light spilled across his bed, rising to a cheery call from Merlin telling him to wake up. “Isn’t it a little early to wake up?” He groaned, turning over to go back to bed.

Merlin suddenly pulled him from the bed, dumping him mercilessly on the floor and grinned down at him. “Well, you know what they say. There’s no time like the present.”

Arthur’s eyes tracked Merlin as his servant went to the wardrobe and pulled out his shirts. “Merlin…”

“Mm?” Merlin hummed, pausing and looking over at him.

“You are an idiot.”

Merlin gave him a look that told him plainer than words that he was being childish. He came over, bending down and hooking his arms under the royal’s armpits. He grunted with the effort it took to pull him up, “Be that as it may, Sire, you do have an important meeting this morning,” He reminded him, struggling to support his weight as Arthur remained limp in his hold.

Arthur groaned, trying to slip back down to the ground. He swore some days he wished he could just stop. Stop being Prince of Camelot, stop having responsibilities, just stop, for once in his life, feeling like he was holding the weight of the world on his shoulders. Or at least, the weight of Camelot. He’d borne her burden for so long, and it seemed to him that she was the one getting fat not him, despite anything Merlin said.

Just thinking of the current issue he needed to address made his body ache with the thought of hefting that load. How had his uncle been so stupid? Didn’t he realize that by killing a child, he would only make Camelot’s subjects fear them? His father may have taught him that a feared king was a powerful king, but Arthur was no longer sure that was true. The past few years had shown Arthur that during all of his adventures, people followed him, not when they were scared of him or what he could do to them, but because they believed in him.

Lancelot had left Camelot, not because he was afraid of facing Uther’s wrath, but because he believed that Arthur would one day accept him as a knight if he proved himself. And years later Lancelot more than did that when he stood by Arthur’s side in battle against an immortal army. A battle where the odds were entirely against them.

Or take Gwen. Gwen had been given a chance to follow Morgana, she had been promised a place of position with her. Yet, Gwen had turned her down, saved Leon, and all because she believed in Arthur more than she feared Morgana.

“Oh, for the love of Camelot, _ Arthur!” _ Merlin griped, still trying to put the prince on his own two feet.

Or Merlin. Merlin was a great example, the idiot. He had been willing to drink poison for Arthur.  _ Twice. _ He had faced a dragon with him, followed him to the Perilous Lands, and even stayed with him when they were facing an immortal army. Arthur had never, not even once, asked him to do any of those tasks. But Merlin had done what few men would, all because he believed in Arthur. His father had never inspired such loyalty in any of his servants  _ because they feared him. _

“Arthur, I swear if you don’t stand in three seconds, I’m going to drop you again.” Merlin gasped, the traitor.

He groaned, but placed his feet under himself, standing on his own power.

“Finally!” Merlin said, bending over with his hands on his knees as he caught his breath.

Arthur hummed, walking over to the table. “Well, don’t just stand there, Merlin. Fetch me my clothes.” He said, smirking to himself as he imagined the exasperated look that he just knew Merlin was giving him.

Soon Arthur was dressed and sitting at his desk as he read over the speech he had prepared the night before. “Merlin, here, what do you think of this?” He asked, handing the papers over to his servant as he paused in his chores.

Merlin sat down in the chair across from Arthur, mulling over the words for a few minutes before looking up at him with a worried look on his face. “This is what you’re planning on saying?”

Arthur scowled, snatching the papers back.  _ “Yes. _ I don’t know why I asked you anyway, you obviously wouldn’t know what to say.”

Merlin raised both his eyebrows, looking away as he got up to do his chores. “If you say so, Sire.” He said, shrugging indifferently.

Arthur frowned as he started rereading the words. He glanced up at Merlin. “Do you think you could do better?” He asked, resisting the urge to bite his lip. He needed his speech to be perfect if he was going to quell the people’s panic.

Merlin glanced back at him and grinned, coming over. “Give me an hour.” He told him. “I can fix it.” He promised.

Arthur eyed him for a moment before nodding, getting up and pushing Merlin down into his chair. “Get to it then.” He told him, starting to pace.

Merlin worked for a few minutes, writing things down and crossing things out. “Sit down and have your breakfast, will you? You’re insufferable when you haven’t eaten.” He murmured, eyes never leaving the paper, his pen moving in short, precise scratches over the paper.

Arthur glowered at him, crossing his arms. “I am not!”

Merlin gave him an unimpressed look and went back to crossing things out. He was crossing a lot of things out, actually. Maybe it was a mistake to hand the task over to him.

“Raising your voice only proves my point, Arthur. Now sit down and let me concentrate.”

Now, ordinarily, Arthur would remind his servant that he was, in fact, a servant and therefore should not be giving him orders; However with so much riding on that speech, he couldn’t really risk Merlin being distracted. Defeated, he sat down at the table to eat and wait for Merlin to finish.   
  


*************************

The regent strode into the council chambers, his face set in determination as he strode past the long table to take his place at the head. His regal, red cape billowed out behind him as his long stride carried him quickly through the room. The standing council members bowed respectfully to him as he sat down. He acknowledged their subservience with a nod and called the council meeting to order as they took their seats.

“As we all know, a tragedy happened yesterday with the death of the young Borden boy,” Arthur said, addressing the council. “Though my uncle acted in what he thought was Camelot’s best interests, that does not nullify that it was a grievous mistake on not only his but the entire council’s behalf.”

Arthur scanned the court as he spoke, taking in the different expressions of the council members. Most looked indifferent, their faces set in a neutral expression. Those he couldn’t be sure of. They could be upset over what happened, but trying to maintain their dignity, or they could be annoyed with the way Arthur was handling things but were withholding their feelings to themselves so as not to anger the prince. Agravaine was one of those keeping their feelings secret, though it saddened Arthur to realize it, as he was sure he knew why his uncle wore a mask of indifference.

Others, like Gaius and Geoffrey, were obviously proud of the stand Arthur was taking. It warmed the royal’s heart to see it. Gaius was the one council member who was completely free of guilt as he had been visiting the outer towns and had only returned early the night before. But still, it made Arthur glad to have his oldest’s friend’s support in this matter.

Geoffrey was looking at him with pride, though he seemed rightly remorseful. Arthur had heard from Gwen that Geoffrey was the one person who tried to convince Agravaine to wait for Arthur’s return before passing judgement. If Arthur’s understanding was right, the man was feeling guilty, not because he supported Agravaine, but because he’d been unable to stop the execution.

However, there were a couple of people sitting at the table that made no effort to hide their feelings. The one that caught his attention though was Lord Eldred. He was one of the oldest members of the court, having been part of the council before the Great Purge. He had been Uther’s right-hand man during the purge.

Arthur had always disliked the man. He had an ill view of commoners and treated them like dirt. Like they were nothing more than pests, insects to be squashed beneath his foot. Not to mention the man was cruel, known for the extreme punishments he gave his servants.

Now, as he stared at Arthur, his expression was showing quite plainly his anger. He was enraged that Arthur had the gall to question the boy’s innocence. To Eldred, much as to his father, even just the suspicion of magic was enough to condemn a man. Or a child.

It struck Arthur suddenly that were his father not to recover these men would be his council. Men like Eldred who were full of spite and hatred would be advising him. It was becoming evident that if Arthur wanted to be a fair and just king, he would have some hard choices ahead of him. He’d have to fire council members and somehow find new ones. How in the world did one go about choosing council members?

He banished the thought from his mind for the time being. Now was not the time to panic over such a thing, not when he had more pressing matters for the moment.

“The people are beginning to panic. Men and women alike are fearing for the safety of their family. They are questioning Agravaine’s judgement, as they should, and thus questioning the right of the royal household to rule. This matter must be addressed, or the people could begin a revolt. Does anyone have suggestions?”

As Arthur expected, Eldred was the first to speak, standing up to address the prince. “Sire, I believe I speak for the majority when I say that I think you are exaggerating things. A little fear is good for your subjects to have. It keeps them in check, obedient. If the boy had gone unpunished, then the people would follow the example of the misguided child. But with his execution, they learn fear and respect for the crown. It makes them hesitant to break the laws. It makes us- you, stronger. You can rule with an iron fist, gaining more power. Camelot is what it is today because your father believed this.”

Arthur’s mouth suddenly felt dry. What if Eldred was right? What if his own reasoning was simply flawed by inexperience?

Gaius stood as Eldred sat back down. “Sire, if I may?” He requested, Arthur giving him a permitting nod.

The physician gave him a slight smile and bowed his head respectfully before speaking. “As everyone knows, I was not here yesterday. I wish I had been to speak on the boy’s behalf. However, as I arrived in the lower town last night, I had the opportunity to observe the people.”

Arthur nodded, “And your observations, Gaius?”

“I saw many mothers keeping their children inside, other children who were outside, hid quickly when the daily patrols passed by. I even heard rumors of a meeting to discuss the matter amongst the men of the lower town. I believe they will be deciding whether or not it is safe for them to remain in Camelot. They are panicking, Sire. They fear for their lives, for the lives of their children. I worry that if you do not intervene, Camelot may be abandoned by her people.”

Arthur listened carefully to Gaius, taking his words into consideration. It reinforced what Arthur already felt about the issue. Fear would only tear the people away and make the kingdom weak. After all, how could Camelot stand without the support of her subjects?

Eldred stood once more. “This is an outrage! The things you speak of are rubbish, Gaius. If the men are holding a meeting, then that must be our priority. Such gatherings are an insolent display of disrespect. We must put an end to this immediately if we are to maintain control of the people!”

“Enough!” Arthur barked, glaring Eldred into submission as the man sat down. “We will take no action against the men meeting. Doing so would only fuel their fear and cause an even greater panic. It is clear to me that we must make atonement for the unjust death of Brennis Borden.”

Geoffrey stood, nodding respectfully to Arthur, who gave him the go-ahead. “May I suggest a public apology, Sire? If the people see that your uncle is truly sorry, it may quell their fear and appease any doubts that may have begun to form.”

Arthur grinned, he’d been hoping someone would be on the same wavelength as him. “That is an excellent idea, Geoffrey. I was thinking along the same lines. I propose a public declaration of my uncle’s apology be set for noon today.”

Gaius beamed at him as Arthur stood, Geoffrey too, looking quite pleased as Arthur had accepted his suggestion.

“You are dismissed.” The prince told everyone, asking his uncle to stay behind for a moment longer.

Agravaine’s face was tinted red with humiliation at needing to apologize for his actions. He gave Arthur a tight smile, though simmering anger resided in his eyes. “Yes, Arthur. Was there a private manner you wished to discuss?”

“Just a warning, uncle. I appreciate your counsel, it has been a great help to me since my father took ill. However, your apology today has to be convincing. I would hate to have to choose between you and the people, should they ask for you to be expelled from the council.” Arthur said lowly, eyes bearing into his uncle’s earnestly. “Don’t force me to make that decision.”

Agravaine’s face slowly lost the red flush in his cheeks as he gave his nephew a genuine smile. He clasped his nephew’s arm. “I understand, Arthur. I promise I will not fail you this time.” He vowed, clapping his hand against his upper arm. He bowed his head and took his leave, the doors closing behind him.

Arthur exhaled forcefully, shoulders slumping forward a little as he relaxed his stately posture. That hadn’t gone as horribly as he thought it might. Though he was left with some heavy realizations of the work he had cut out for him when he became the rightful king.

“You did good.”

Merlin’s voice startled him, the prince jolting a little as he was shocked out of his reflection. He turned to see Merlin’s cheeky grin. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.” He said, his eyes sparkling with amusement.

“You didn’t. I was merely... thinking.” Arthur responded, a little slower to respond than usual as he had a lot of his mind.

Merlin hummed, nodding. For once it seemed his servant would set aside his usual teasing. “The meeting went better than you expected.”

Arthur nodded some, glancing back at the empty table. “It did.” He shook his head, looking down at the floor as doubt started to twine around his heart. What if the speech he prepared wasn't enough? Would the people lose their faith in him?

A hand was placed on his shoulder. “You can do this, Arthur. Your subjects love you, and you love them more than your father ever did. When you make your speech today, their panic will subside. I’m sure of it.”

Arthur looked over at Merlin, searching his eyes for any sign that he was lying, that he was only saying that because Arthur wanted him to. But there was nothing to suggest that he wasn’t being truthful.

No, Merlin was saying that because he believed in him. And that faith Merlin had in him was all that Arthur needed to convince him that he could fix things.

He could be the king that Merlin saw him to be. And nothing. Not a single thing would convince him otherwise. Not as long as he had a loyal friend by his side.

A friend named Merlin.

*************************

And in that hour Camelot’s prince learned a simple truth. A king that inspired loyalty through faith was a thousand times stronger than a king that ruled his people by fear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word Count - 2765. Aw. look at our Arthur. He's growing up so fast. Sorry this chapter wasn't as dramatic as the last, but I feel it was a crucial part to add in before things get exciting again in the next chapter. ;) Also, as you may have noticed, this story is going to be written entirely from Arthur's point of view, which is a different style for me as I tend to switch between character's perspectives. But I want to try focusing on one individual, and Arthur seems like a good choice. However, I do have plans when I finish this story to write an accompanying fic in Merlin's perspective. But for now, let me know how I'm doing with Arthur!
> 
> I really want to develop Arthur's character as he takes on more responsibility by taking up the title of king. This will be an important part of the story and I believe it will further the plot nicely. So let me know your thoughts and suggestions, I'd love to hear from all of you! I should have a new chapter up on my Poetry and Strawberries fic soon as well, so keep an eye out for it!
> 
> Well, that's enough rambling from me. I hope you all have a great day/night!


	3. An Interrupted Speech

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “An apology is the best you can do, Prince Arthur?” She called, lifting her face to him, a look of utter despair and anger on her face. “My boy is dead! And all you give me is an apology?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to work on a Whumptober prompt, when I was struck by inspiration for this chapter, so here you go! Real quick, thank you to everyone for your kudos and comments, though there are two people in particular that I want to mention.  
First, Grace. Thank you so much for your very encouraging words! Comments like yours are what truly keep me going and keeping it in mind really helped me as I wrote this chapter. Thank you. <3<3<3  
Secondly, GoldSparrow, thank you from the bottom of my heart for pointing out the error of using king when referring to Arthur. It has been rectified now, thanks to you!  
Now on to the story. TWs: Mentions of Blood, Mentions of Child Execution and Death.

Arthur stood inside the archway that led to the balcony, arms crossed with one hand positioned by his face as he pressed his mouth against it anxiously, barely resisting the urge to bite his nails. He straightened as he felt a presence just slightly behind him and to the left. “Is he ready?” He asked quietly, not needing to look to tell who it was he spoke to.

“He is,” Merlin answered, the prince feeling gratified when the servant answered and then fell quiet instead of trying to talk to him, obviously able to tell that Arthur was just not in the right mindset at the time for their usual banter, too focused on going over his lines in his head from the speech that Merlin had rewritten for him.

He had to admit, Merlin had done exceedingly well with the presentation. The words were the perfect balance of formal posturing and heartfelt sentiment, all while using the proper terminology of the political side of the matter. He had kept Arthur’s fundamental thoughts and organized them in a way that would make it easy for the commoners to follow along with, even adding in a few reworded sentences, both to get the point across and to explain the matter in language that would be easily understood by those who didn’t have an education.

By the time he had finished, Merlin had written a beautiful speech. One that somehow captured the very essence of what Arthur had been trying to say, but wasn’t sure how. It even sounded like Arthur, despite having been written by his servant. He’d been thoroughly surprised at just how well Merlin had done. Would wonders never cease?

The noon bell rang out loud and clear through the square, signaling that it was time.

The prince let his arms fall to his side as he stepped out onto the mezzanine, listening as a hush fell over the crowd, the people’s faces lifting to watch him. He stood there for a moment, looking out over their faces, seeing the fear and anger that resided there.  
  
His knights were standing at attention at the castle’s entrances, ready to defend the palace if the people revolted. Gwen was down in the courtyard, giving him a smile and an encouraging nod as he found her gaze. Merlin stood loyally behind him, silently giving Arthur his support. The servant cleared his throat, a soft prompt to start.

“A mistake was made yesterday. One that we can not rectify to the extent I wish we could. A young boy, Brennis Borden, was executed unjustly, without fair trial, and life can not be restored once it has been taken. However, we wish to atone for the grievous error that the council has made. Therefore, I make an oath as your prince and regent king, that from this day forward, until my father is well enough to take his rightful place on the throne, any accusations of sorcery are to be brought to me personally. Those who are accused shall have a fair trial before any judgement is passed.”

Arthur looked over to his uncle, who had now joined him on the mezzanine, giving him a nod.

Agravaine stepped up and addressed the people. “I humbly apologize for my grievous error of judgement.” He said, even bowing slightly before he gave them that too easy smile of his. “I was not aware when I joined the council just how different things are now, compared to when my brother-in-law was still seated on the throne. However, my loyalty is to Arthur, and I assure you that I will honor his decision.”

As Arthur opened his mouth to speak, a high, bitter laugh drew the attention of the crowd, heads turning to the source. Low murmurs broke out through the assembly, Arthur’s stomach sinking as he heard their words.

Brennis Borden’s mother.

She was younger than Arthur expected, no more than thirty and wearing a deep red dress, a color made from a rich dye that most commoners couldn’t afford.

“An apology is the best you can do, Prince Arthur?” She called, lifting her face to him, a look of utter despair and anger on her face. “My boy is dead! And all you give me is an apology?”

Arthur watched as the crowd parted, backing away from the enraged woman. Behind him, he could hear Merlin’s nervous shifting and too steady breaths, the servant no doubt sensing the same dangerous aura that Arthur was.

This woman could very well be the one who’d convince the people that he was no longer worthy of being their king.

Another woman spoke up, this one in tears. “You deserve no apology! Your boy killed mine! Not a day after I caught your boy releasing toads into my kitchen, my boy fell ill with fever and died. Brennis cursed him!”

The other woman scoffed. “My son did no such thing.”

Arthur could see that if he didn’t intervene, he’d have a possible riot on his hands as he saw people starting to take sides and the other mother getting ready to retort.

“Enough! We will settle this in a calm manner. You, what’s your name?” He asked the newcomer.

The woman, this one wearing a simple brown dress, and older than the first by maybe ten years stepped forward into the cleared space. “My name is Ada Kilner, my lord,” She answered, curtsying.

The other woman spoke up. “My name is Eleanor Borden, formerly Eleanor Bennet.” She stated, giving the prince an acknowledging nod.

“Ada Kilner, state your case.” The regent king commanded.

The woman nodded and pointed her finger at Eleanor. “Her son killed mine! My Colin was a healthy boy, why he never saw a sick day in his life! Until that Borden boy started hanging ‘round. Always pushing my sweet Colin into doing the things we taught him was wrong. Then two days ago, I heard them fighting; No doubt my Colin finally stood up to him!”

Eleanor scoffed at this, but Ada ignored her and kept talking. “That same afternoon, I caught the Borden boy as he let loose a dozen toads into my kitchen! That night my son took ill, and by morning yesterday, he had passed.” She said, now crying again as her husband moved to comfort her.

“Your son did it! Your son killed my Colin!” She screamed before turning to sob in her husband’s chest.

Eleanor clenched her fists. “My son did no such thing! My Brennis would never do something like that!”

Something in her words caught Arthur’s attention, and he leaned forward. “Yet, you don’t deny that he had magic?” He asked, voice sharp.

Eleanor stiffened, her gaze turning to the regent king as fear leapt into her eyes, realizing her slip up. Her gaze drifted just slightly behind him, eyes wide. Then her eyes narrowed and shifted back to Arthur’s. She pulled herself to her full height, holding herself much like one would expect a lady of the court to.

“I do not.” She stated, her voice ringing out loud and clear. “Nor do I deny that I have magic as well.”

A loud gasp went up from the crowd. “Guards! Seize her!” Agravaine shouted, a few of the castle guards moving from their positions.

“No!” Everyone in the square froze, turning to their prince.

Arthur felt a cold trickle of sweat run down the back of his neck as everyone stared at him. Why did he say that? He could have just let the guards seize her. They wouldn’t even need a trial since she’d already confessed. So why had he spoken against it?

“We are in the middle of the trial. I shall hear her.” He stated, giving the woman a nod to continue.

Behind him, he heard Merlin’s slow release of breath, the small step he took forward as if ready to run should things turn sour.

The woman tilted her head just slightly in surprise before continuing. “I confess, my son and I both had magic. As many of you know,” She said, gesturing to those around her, “My son and I were born in Cenred’s land. And as you know, Prince Arthur, magic was not outlawed in his kingdom.

“My son and I left Essetir after Morgause killed our king. Our kingdom was thrown into chaos, and when Lot took the throne, I deemed it an unsafe place to raise my child and sought refuge here.”

Her voice became bitter as she spoke. “We were told that Camelot was a safe haven, protected by Prince Arthur and his knights. I was led to believe that you were a fair and just ruler, that you would one day be a great king. But now I find that I’ve been fed lies. For you speak with empty promises, Prince Arthur. Your uncle should pay for what he has done. The penalty for murder is death, Arthur Pendragon. He murdered my boy, and he should die!”

“Your child had magic! How can we be sure that he didn’t curse the young Kilner boy?” Agravaine demanded.

“My son was still learning when we left Essetir. He didn’t have the knowledge or the strength to perform such a curse that’s powerful enough to kill.” She told him, a soft look in her eyes as she spoke further about her son. “He was just learning how to light a flame.”

Her gaze hardened as she looked up at Arthur. “You speak lies when you promise a fair trial for those like me. As long as your heart is hardened toward magic, you will not be a just king. For you will continue to rule oppressively over your people, putting the innocent to death in the name of your father and his war against magic.

“Even now, as the innocent blood of my child cries out from the ground, you stand here to speak of a better future. Yet you have more blood on your hands than even you know, Arthur. You are not worthy of being king. You never shall be until you atone for those you’ve murdered in the name of your supposed justice!

“Soon, all will know the blood you have on your hands, Arthur Pendragon. The blood all of Camelot has on her hands.” She promised, Arthur’s blood running cold as he heard the shift in her tone. A note of hatred rang out in her voice, but more than that, her voice grew stronger, more powerful.

The crowd heard it too, his people stepping back from the woman as her eyes started to glow. “Stop her!” Arthur shouted, his knights stepping forward. She held a hand up, eyes flaring gold as she barked a sharp word in the old tongue.

The knights flew back, and Eleanor let her hand drop as she continued talking, tilting her head back. “As my son’s innocent blood was spilled out on the ground at high noon, so too shall all those living in Camelot bleed the innocent blood of those they’ve killed!” Then she spread her arms out, and her eyes glowed bright gold as she intoned something in an ancient language.

The air itself seemed to grow thick with tension, or maybe that was because it seemed to be getting hard to breathe. Arthur gripped at his throat as he struggled to take in oxygen, those around him doing the same. Arthur reached out to steady Merlin as his servant stumbled into him, the servant’s eyes clenched tight as he fought to breathe.

Arthur’s lungs burned, and his head pounded as though ready to burst. Grey crept into his vision, and between one heartbeat and another, he slumped to the ground in a dead faint.

*************************

As Camelot’s prince laid unconscious on the ground, a sorceress in a red dress walked from the castle. And as she walked through the comatose village, a grim satisfaction warmed her chest, for she knew, Albion’s time of restoration was close at hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word Count - 2000. Also, in case anyone was wondering, I added in mention of the noon bell in the first chapter to keep the plot nice and tidy. Thank you all for reading and for any kudos and comments you care to leave! <3


	4. Waking Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As everyone wakes up, Arthur has some work to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my readers! So, it has taken longer than I wanted it to, but the next chapter is here! TW: Slight blood. Honestly, it's almost non-existent, but just in case... Enjoy!

Black spots danced across Arthur’s vision as he peeled his eyelids open, the dots slowly fading to reveal the cloudy sky above him. The regent king groaned as his head throbbed, and his eyes ached at what little sunlight was streaming through the clouds. His chest still felt as though it was struggling to intake air, as though his lungs were resisting his efforts to expand them and draw in the precious oxygen.

His head felt almost too heavy to lift, but Arthur managed it. In doing so, he discovered why he was still having trouble breathing, as Merlin’s body sprawled across his chest, the servant’s face smushed uncomfortably against the stone.

Arthur’s muscles ached as he carefully rolled Merlin off him and sat up, the prince rubbing at his eyes to try and ease the sore feeling that afflicted them. Judging by the quiet and confused chatter that drifted up to the mezzanine, he wasn’t the first awake.

He stood up slowly, looking down at the courtyard. About three-fourths of the people were awake, including Guinevere, Lancelot, and Percival. The three seemed to have taken it upon themselves to check on those who had woken with them. Those of the other quarter were starting to stir, low groans of pain and confused murmurs reaching Arthur’s ears. It seemed everyone had the same question spilling from their lips.

_ What happened? _

Arthur himself wished to know the answer to that question, besides the obvious. Of course, what happened was the fault of the sorceress, but what exactly she’d done to them was still a mystery. Arthur was sure that she had done more than knock them all out. Her words unquestionably suggested so.

_ Soon, all will know the blood you have on your hands, Arthur Pendragon. The blood all of Camelot has on her hands… As my son’s innocent blood was spilled out on the ground at high noon, so too shall all those living in Camelot bleed the innocent blood of those they’ve killed! _

What did that mean? How could one bleed the blood of another? It didn’t make any sense. But then again, donkey ears, snakes coming out of shields, and dead knights coming to life didn’t make any sense either. Anything seemed to be possible for those who used magic.

“Sire! Do you wish us to assemble a team and go after the sorceress?” Sir Leon’s voice brought him out of his musings, a welcome distraction. Arthur did not have the time to ponder the illogics of magic. His focus had to be on his people.

“No, she’s long gone by this time,” Arthur answered, seeing that everyone in the courtyard was awake once more. His peripheral visions saw his uncle stumbling back inside and his guards helping each other up. “Check to see if anyone is injured and send someone for Gaius.”

Leon bowed respectfully and walked back to the other knights. Sir Becc went running off, likely to bring Gaius back, while the others dispersed amongst the crowd to carry out Arthur’s orders.

The prince turned, ready to tell Merlin to help Gaius tend to any who needed care. But something was wrong. Whereas everybody else was awake, Merlin was still lying motionless on the masonry.

Arthur’s blood ran cold. “Merlin!” He was quick to kneel next to him, shaking his servant harshly. “Merlin, wake up!”

The young man’s head slowly lolled to one side, revealing a rather large bruise on his left temple, a small cut in the center of it that was bleeding sluggishly. “Merlin,” Arthur whispered, feeling guilty that he had not thought to check on his servant when he first woke.

The regent stood and swiftly walked to the edge of the balcony, searching out one of his knights. “Gwaine! Have any been seriously injured?” He called. Despite wanting Merlin to be taken care of as soon as possible, he couldn’t play favorites if someone was more seriously injured than the servant, much as it pained him to put off his friend’s treatment.

“We have a few bruises and scrapes, a possible broken wrist or two, but nothing major.” The knight reported from where he was helping an attractive young maiden up, his attention partially divided by the starstruck look in the girl’s eyes.

“Then get Gaius up here immediately. Merlin’s hurt.” He told him, watching as the knight’s head snapped up, his eyes widening. Worry rapidly wrinkled his brow as the knight dropped the maiden’s hand and rushed off, leaving the young woman staring after him, the expression on her face similar to that of a jilted lover.

Arthur hurried back to Merlin’s side, tempted just to pick up the servant, and carry him to the physician’s quarters. But that would merely waste time as Gaius was already on his way. So instead, he did a cursory check to make sure that Merlin didn’t seem to have any other injuries. Nothing else seemed to be amiss, and by the time Arthur was finished checking, Gaius had arrived.

Gaius gingerly knelt down next to his apprentice as Arthur gave him his report, the physician humming in acknowledgement. The elder leaned forward, obscuring Arthur’s view as he checked Merlin’s eyes and inhaled sharply.

“What is it?” Arthur asked instantly, trying to look around him to see what was wrong.

The healer seemed to pause before answering in a calm voice. “It appears to be a concussion, Sire. He hit his head rather hard when he fell. I’ll clean the cut and bandage his head, but there’s not much else to be done.”

Arthur frowned slightly. That didn’t seem like a surprise, so why was his initial reaction to gasp in shock? He wrote it off to the concussion being worse than Gaius anticipated. “Will he be okay?” He asked, fighting to keep his obvious concern out of his voice.

“He’ll need to be monitored for the next day or so, but with some bedrest, he should be fine,” Gaius assured him with a smile as he finished dressing the small cut. He patted the unconscious man’s arm and stood slowly. “I believe I have some other patients to look at, so if you would be so kind as to have some of your men take Merlin back to my quarters, I’ll send someone to look after him until I’m finished.”

“Yes, of course.” The regent said, signaling to Gwaine, who’d arrived shortly after Gaius, and one of the castle’s guards. “Bring Merlin to the physician’s quarters and stay with him until Gaius sends someone to look after him.”

Arthur took one last look at Merlin’s pale face before turning away, stalking into the castle. He had some clean up to do after the disaster his speech had turned into.

*************************

Arthur’s first order of business was to check on his father. Of course, Uther had his own personal guards. If the spell had affected them the same way, they should have been awake by then with the others and would have checked first and foremost on the king. Having heard nothing, Arthur could assume two things. One, his father was completely fine, or two, his father and his guards were dead.

While Arthur worried the worst, knowing that the sorceress could have been in league with Morgana, his gut feeling told him that everything would be fine when he reached the royal chambers.

It didn’t take long to find out he was right, and after spending a minute to watch his father as he slept peacefully, Arthur was off again, calling the council to gather.

*************************

“This is an outrage!” Eldred yelled as he stood, his anger aimed solely at Arthur. It was almost enough to make the royal slump in his seat like a child being scolded. “You never should have allowed that woman to curse this kingdom. If your father could have witnessed how you defended the woman, how you let her speak despite having already admitted she had magic-”

“Even if Prince Arthur hadn’t allowed the woman testimony, the results would have been the same.” Lord Passelewe pointed out, Arthur breathing a little easier as Eldred’s rage was diverted away from him. “You all saw how easily she flung our knights back. Obviously, we are dealing with someone skilled in magic. We have not encountered anyone with such power as she in many years. Even Morgause and Morgana had not the ability to curse an entire kingdom. If that is indeed what the witch has done.”

“That does not negate the fact that the woman should never have been given an opportunity.” Eldred insisted. “You are all ignoring the fact that Arthur’s judgement of the matter was flawed.” The man turned to look directly at Arthur, who carefully kept his discomfort off his face. “Apologies, my prince. I mean no offense, however, I fear you’re too inexperienced to handle such matters. Perhaps you should step down while the rest of us care for this.”

“Now, Eldred. Surely, you’re forgetting that Arthur is rightfully the regent until his father is well enough to sit on the throne.” The usually quiet Lord Lapsley said as he stood, drawing Arthur’s attention. Lapsley rarely spoke, but Arthur had always found his wisdom quite insightful. “Arthur is no longer a boy that we can tell to sit aside and watch his kingdom’s fate be decided. He is a man. A fair and just one at that. While I do not deny that he is inexperienced, I also do not believe that negates his authority.”

“And you expect us to allow his skewed judgement to ruin Camelot?” Lord Threston challenged, Arthur’s gaze sliding to the man as he joined in the debate.

“Of course, I don’t,” Lapsley said, his voice still calm. “I would never endorse anything that I thought would lead to Camelot’s destruction. However, the only way for Arthur to gain the experience he needs is by doing so on the throne. As for his supposed lack of judgement today, I do not see where Arthur has made a single mistake.”

“Are you blind, Lord Lapsley?” Passelewe demanded, his face scrunching up in confusion as if something bitter had just graced his tongue unexpectedly.

“Not at all, dear Atkin,” Lapsley replied, amusement in his eyes as the man glared at him. “In fact, I believe I have rather good eyesight for one so old.”

Arthur could almost smile at the way Lapsley seemed to quiet the council and calm the overall atmosphere of the room. It was helping to ease the headache that had burgeoned behind his eyes as well, or at least it was taking away the aggravation of the angry shouting.

“The way I see it, Arthur has done everything in accord with the laws of Camelot. Lord Bisby, do not the laws state that every individual is permitted a fair trial?” Lapsley asked, turning to the man sitting on his left.

“They do,” Bisby admitted somewhat begrudgingly. The lord was never one of Arthur’s favorites. While he wasn’t as cruel as Eldred, the man was set in his ways and viewed matters in an archaic fashion. He disapproved of the common-born knights, making it quite known that he saw them as unworthy and would have sent them on their way, had it been his decision to make.

Lapsley nodded and looked to Lord Orrels, who sat on the other side of the table. “And isn’t it true, John, that the king may conduct said trial in whatever way he sees fit?” He asked.

Orrels nodded passively, not showing much interest in the goings-on. The lord was usually complacent to let the others decide matters and rarely offered his own thinking. The man was one of the younger members of the council, being Uther’s age, and his silence had always baffled Arthur. What was the point of an advisor who never advised?

“That is correct.” Geoffrey said, giving a verbal confirmation to make the point clear to everyone at the table.

“Then Arthur had every right to give Eleanor Borden a fair trial and to allow her to speak her piece. And no matter the result, it is done.” Lord Lapsley stated, giving Eldred a light glare as if challenging the man to speak. “Squabbling over matters of whose fault it is, when in fact the blame does not lay on anyone present, will only serve to impede us as we deal with the issues at hand.”

Arthur’s mind drifted away from the council at that reminder. He shouldn’t be worried about the council’s view of him at the moment or trying to figure out which council members he should keep or remove. They had a crisis, and they needed a plan of action.

Lapsley sat back down, giving Lord Bowe the opportunity to speak. “Our first priority must be to find this witch! We can have our knights assembled by nightfall for a kingdom-wide search of Camelot.”

“No.” Arthur finally spoke, drawing their attention back to him. “Until we know what this curse the sorceress has placed over us is, we must not leave Camelot vulnerable to attack.” He stated. “Protecting our king and our citizens has to be our priority.”

“You’d have us let this woman walk away free?” Lord Wild asked, disgust curling his lip.

“Of course not.” The regent quieted the man. “However, we cannot afford to chase after her right now. Not until we know what and who we are dealing with.”

“Then what do you suggest we do, Sire?” Lord Baldric asked from the end of the table. Though the lord was the oldest of the group, his mind was still sharp as a tack, even if he had a tendency to doze off occasionally during meetings.

Arthur took a moment to collect his thoughts, forming a basic plan of action until they knew what was going on. “Our first priority is the protection of the king. We shall double his guard and have regular check-ins to ensure his safety. Our next concern is the people. They shall have questions, and we’ll wish to stop any rumors before they spread. We shall send out a notice through the kingdom, detailing what has happened today, and issue a kingdom-wide house arrest from the hour before noon to the hour after. This will help contain the people, so there is not widespread panic when the consequences of the curse are made known, whatever they shall be. While I do not believe that we shall be attacked, it will also minimize civilian casualties if the unexpected happens. Meanwhile, our patrols keep vigil and ensure everyone acts per our orders.”

Those around the table nodded. “As you wish, Sire.” Shackleford murmured meekly, having kept quiet through the meeting.

“Then you are all dismissed,” Arthur informed them. The advisors bowed their heads respectfully to him before leaving, the regent watching them go. He sighed once he was alone, his eyes falling on the empty seat of his uncle, who hadn’t even shown up for the meeting.

It probably didn’t mean anything. With all the confusion, the messenger he sent to retrieve his uncle may have gotten sidetracked, or possibly had trouble finding him. But it still hurt him on some level that he had not been there to offer Arthur his support and advice.

Yet, it was the absence of another that weighed much heavier on his heart. The lack of a particular servant standing behind him.

*************************

And as all of Camelot wailed in confusion, her prince sat in an empty council chamber, holding in his own cries of despair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word Count - 2597. Alright, so a couple things, this last scene contains the largest number of active characters I've ever written! Twelve characters to work in there, and I feel very accomplished. :D
> 
> Also, I feel like I should give you a little insight to how my version of the council works, alright? So typically, there are 15 seats at the council. Firstly, the king's. There's also a chair for the queen. Then one for the king's right-hand man and head advisor. Then twelve more advisors. So, in the king's absence, the queen would take over. If the queen was also absent (or in this case non-existent) then the head advisor would take over. If all three were absent for whatever reason, then the rest of the council would act essentially like a jury, majority rules. Pretty simple, right? Right.
> 
> At the moment, the members of the council (Not including Uther) are Arthur, Agravaine, Shackleford, Gaius, Eldred, Passelewe, Bisby, Threston, Lapsley, Wild, Bowe, Orrels, Geoffrey, and Baldric.
> 
> So that's the gist of it. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Please let me know what you think and how the conversation flowed. I've never been part of a council or on a debate team or anything, so I hope the arguments seemed reasonable. Thank you all for reading! I hope the new year is treating you well!


	5. A Small Ray of Light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Merlin still unconscious, Arthur manages to find a little hope in a helpful stranger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, lovely readers of mine! I've got a new chapter for you! This chapter is dedicated to Krazy_Kitty for their enthusiastic comment on my last chapter. I love it when people get so wrapped up in my story that they try to figure out what will happen next. :D Thank you for your support!
> 
> This chapter is also dedicated to Louey06 for their encouraging comment to keep up the good work! I try really hard to make my characters seem real, so your comment meant a lot to me. Thank you! <3
> 
> TW: Description of Injuries. Slight Blood.

The halls were surprisingly quiet as Arthur walked through the castle, only the occasional servant or knight crossing paths with the regent. He was on his way to the physician’s chambers to check on Gaius’ progress with the patients and to see if Merlin had awakened yet.

A woman was just stepping out of the room as he arrived, her eyes bloodshot, and her young child held against her chest tightly, a twine of bandages around his wrist. She startled when she saw Arthur and took a hesitant step back before she bowed slightly. “Your majesty.”

Arthur waved his hand. “Please, there’s no need for that right now.” He assured her. “How is he?” He asked, motioning toward her son. He hadn’t even thought of the children that were in the square. How many had been there? How many were hurt?

The woman’s eyes widened in surprise at Arthur’s concern, and a pang of grief hit his chest sharply to realize it. “He’ll be fine, my lord. His wrist was hurt, but thankfully not broken.”

“Good. That’s good.” Arthur said with a nod. The two stood there awkwardly for a moment before he spoke again and gestured to the door she was blocking. “Well, I should, uh.”

“Oh! Oh, of course, my lord. Apologies.” She said, moving out of the way and walking down the corridor before Arthur could say another word.

It was probably for the best, seeing as he wasn’t sure what he would have said.

He wanted to reassure her, to tell her that they were going to fix things, but such a promise was futile when he had no guarantee that he could fulfill it. He didn’t know what the curse the sorceress cast on them was. He didn’t know how to lift it, or if it was even possible to do so. All Arthur really knew was that it was his fault.

With a heavy heart, the prince opened the door to the physician's chambers. It was more crowded than he expected it to be, many injured in the room that Gaius was tending to, along with the help of Gwen, one of the castle’s cooks, and, surprisingly, Gwaine.

“Ah, Princess. Come to help us roll bandages?” The roguish knight asked, making the two kids he was tending to laugh, the sound the first pleasant thing Arthur had heard since the fiasco of a speech he made.

It lifted his spirit some, but his heart slowly grew heavy again when he looked around the room at the others. There were a total of eleven patients in the room, plus the father of the two kids Gwaine was with. There were four men, five women, and the kids. Most just looked distressed, and in need of calming down, their injuries already tended to, but others were still bleeding and waiting for their turn with Gaius. The two small kids looked fine, aside from some scrapes that Gwaine was bandaging. Three women were sitting together, two with dressing on their heads and another with her foot propped up on a stool, her swollen ankle bound tightly. They were talking worriedly amongst themselves. Then there were two men talking to the cook as she did a preliminary check of them for Gaius. One man had a painful looking scrape on his cheek but otherwise seemed okay, while the other had a long gash on his arm that was bleeding into a cloth he held around it. That one seemed to be insisting that the women were looked after first.

Then there was the couple that Gwen was talking to. They were younger, maybe in their twenties, and the wife was pregnant. The husband looked relatively fine until one saw the substantial bruising on his elbow. The wife, on the other hand, seemed uninjured, but was apparently worried that the fall she had when the spell was cast had hurt her unborn child. Gwen was doing her best to reassure them that everything would be okay, but she too looked worried, no doubt anxious about the curse as was everyone.

Another man was talking to the father of the two kids. He was holding his left hand by the wrist, three of his fingers bent unnaturally and contused an ugly purple. And finally, there was the woman Gaius was tending to. She was in the worst condition of the lot, her right arm burned severely. Looking closer, Arthur recognized one of the other cooks from the kitchen. She was likely tending to an oven or possibly a stew fire when she was rendered unconscious by the spell. She was unconscious as Gaius worked to treat her arm, spreading a highly pungent salve over her arm.

All these people. All of them were hurt because Arthur had failed to protect them. He had tried to do the right thing, and what had it gotten him? His entire kingdom cursed, and his citizens injured and frightened, plus a council that was now at odds with each other.

He glanced up as Gwen said his name softly, the girl stepping closer to speak quietly with him. “Are you okay, Arthur?”

He nodded, a little distracted. There was still someone he had come to see that wasn’t present in the room. “Where’s Merlin? Has he woken up?” He asked. His worry had been growing ever since he stepped into the room and noticed his absence.

“He’s in the back room,” Gwen told him. “Gaius checked on him a bit ago, and he was still asleep.”

That made Arthur frown harder, a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. Everyone else had woken up so quickly, even the others who had hit their heads were conscious again, so why was Merlin still asleep?

“I’ll see if he’s awake then,” Arthur answered, striding past her. It was only a few yards, and a couple steps up to Merlin’s room, but the distance felt like miles with the worry that was plaguing the young prince’s mind.

*************************

Merlin was lying quietly on the bed as Arthur walked into the room, his eyes closed, and the sheet drawn over him slowly rising and falling as he breathed. His face was pale but peaceful in his sleep.

Arthur stepped closer to the bed, staring down at Merlin’s unmoving form. His servant, his best friend, another victim of his failure. Arthur sank down onto the foot of the bed, the gravity of the situation hitting him, all at once. People were hurt, Merlin was hurt, people could have died because of him. All because of a foolish decision to let a sorceress talk. He should have known better. He should have ordered his men to take her down the instant she admitted to having magic.

His father had never hesitated to kill magic users, and now he knew why. They would act at the first chance they had to bring harm to his kingdom. To undermine the peace that he was striving for. He understood at that moment. He understood why Uther had executed people with magic without a second thought, the reasoning behind it, it was that if you gave them even a minute to defend themselves, they would take it and use it against you.

He understood, and he wouldn’t make the same mistake again. He would never trust another magic user to talk things out. Obviously, they weren’t interested in talking. All they cared about was using their magic to hurt others. What happened proved that.

Arthur sighed, running his hands over his face and through his hair to the back of his neck where they rested as he bowed his head in frustration. He had to find a way to fix things. He had no idea how, but he had to figure it out. If not... It could very well mean the downfall of Camelot.

He inhaled deeply and let it out slowly before dropping his hands and lifting his head. He tilted his head as he watched Merlin sleep, wishing that he would wake. Merlin’s words of encouragement at such times were what kept Arthur going, what helped him to strive forward, what assured him that he could face down whatever enemy he was dealing with.

But Merlin couldn’t say anything, couldn’t give a single word of encouragement. So Arthur just sat there silently, taking comfort in the quiet breaths of his manservant.

One thing, though, was niggling at the back of his mind. Something that just didn’t sit quite right with the picture. Why Gaius had gasped when he checked Merlin’s eyes. The temptation to find out why gradually grew into a burning desire to find an answer to his wonderings.

One hand holding into the bed frame to support his weight as he leaned over Merlin, Arthur reached up to gently peel Merlin’s eyelid back for a look. Just as two fingers graced the skin of Merlin’s forehead, Gaius opened the door to the room. “Arthur!”

The prince jolted, quickly straightening and stepping back from the bed. “Gaius. I was just going to-”

“You were just going to wake my patient, that’s what you were going to do!” Gaius whisper-shouted. “Merlin is hurt, he needs his rest, Sire.”

Arthur nodded and glanced back at Merlin for a moment before shifting his gaze to the irate physician. “Right. I’ll just- I’ll leave him to it then.” He stated, walking quickly from the room.

He blatantly ignored a teasing call from Gwaine as he stalked out of the physician’s chambers, eyes set straight ahead of him. He had taken longer than he meant to in the physician’s quarters, and he still needed to check in with his knights and see how things were going outside the castle.

*************************

“Sire. How is Merlin?” Lancelot asked as he got to the bottom of the steps in front of the castle.

“Still unconscious,” Arthur told him, glancing around. Most of the knights were reassuring the anxious citizens, but a few others were trying to calm down a group of angry men. Leon was taking the lead in that, with Percival standing close by his side in case the men got physical.

“There’s a lot of unrest in that group,” Lancelot said quietly. “I’m not sure if they’ll try anything, but even Leon is having trouble calming them down.”

Arthur nodded. He could tell that getting the men to cool off and go home would be difficult. They were all clamoring about the events that occurred, demanding answers.  _ What does the curse mean? Are we safe? What is Prince Arthur doing to find the sorceress?  _ Of course, the knights didn’t have that information just yet. The royal scribes were working on writing the notices that would be distributed, but it would take some time to make so many copies.

Their voices raised, and one of the men stepped forward, looking ready to fight. Arthur was just about to try diffusing the situation himself, but another man beat him to it.

“That’s enough, Philip! We’ll find out in due time what measures they’re taking. Let them breathe for a bit and get their heads back on straight first!” The newcomer exclaimed, walking over to the group and putting a hand on the shoulder of the man called Philip. The man was a few inches taller than Philip, but not so tall as to rival Percival. He had a muscular body type that spoke of years doing hard labor and light brown hair that was worn long and pulled back into a ponytail. He looked to be in his thirties, and a full sleeve tattoo covered his left arm.

Philip, a thinner, lanky fellow, looked ready to argue when the other man spoke again. “Think of your family, Philip. If you start a fight, you’ll likely be thrown in the dungeon for a night or two. And then who will look after your family? Do you think Bela would appreciate being left alone with your boys after what happened?” He pulled his hand away as Philip’s shoulders sank and faced the group as a whole. “And what about the rest of you? Gervase, what about your mother? Shouldn’t you go check on her? Or you, Umfrey? Who’ll look after your animals if you’re stuck here? And the rest of you too. Can any of you afford to take time away from your businesses and families for an act of foolishness?”

The men shuffled their feet, some looking away in shame. A few mumbled responses, while others quietly shook their heads. Arthur raised his eyebrows at the impressive way the man dealt with his fellow commoners. He was younger than most of the men that had been badgering Leon, but he had authority in his voice and influence among them that only someone who was in the same position as them could have.

“Go home. Take care of your families. Thomas, I’d like you to come with me and check on everyone in the village. Some may not know what happened yet, and we may find more injured that need help getting to a healer.” The man said, and this seemed to impress Leon as well as Arthur watched him share a look with Percival.

The men slowly dispersed, and Arthur walked over to speak to the one who’d convinced them to leave. “You handled that very well.” He said as he stopped in front of him. “What’s your name?”

The man grinned and inclined his head in respect for his prince before extending his hand. “Ranulf Jourdemayne. Glad to be of help, my lord.”

Arthur rose an eyebrow at the hand that was extended toward him, or, more specifically, the left-hand that was extended to him.

"Oh, sorry about that. I forget most people are right-handed." He said, laughing and switching his left for his right.

Arthur huffed softly in amusement as he shook his hand and looked past the man at the others that were finding their families and heading out. “I’m grateful for your help diffusing the situation. I’d hate to see anymore injured than we already have.”

Ranulf nodded, crossing his arms and looking around at the people moving about the courtyard. “I think we can agree there’s been enough excitement today. That being said, though. May I inquire what steps you’re taking, Prince Arthur? We’re all wondering.”

Arthur sighed and nodded. “I’m sure you are. My scribes are working now on some notices that will be posted explaining what’s going to happen now. Please, rest assured we’re going to do everything we can to correct this matter.”

Ranulf seemed to search his face for a moment before he nodded. “I’m sure you are, your majesty. And please, if I can do anything, just send word.”

“I’ll be sure to do that, thank you,” Arthur responded before leaning back a bit as Ranulf stumbled forward a couple steps. He looked down to see a young girl of maybe six years clinging to the back of Ranulf’s legs.

Ranulf laughed and pried her off his legs gently, hefting her up into his arms. “There’s my little Chaney!” He exclaimed, pressing an enthusiastic kiss to her cheek as the girl giggled.

A woman, with blonde hair like her daughter, approached him and laughed as he hooked an arm around her waist and pulled her to his side roughly to kiss her cheek as well. “You two ready to go home then?” He asked, his attention now on his family.

Arthur smiled as he watched them for a moment before turning to leave and granting the family some privacy. He was glad to see that even among the adverse times, there were still people smiling.

*************************

And as metaphorical black clouds converged on Camelot, the prince clung to a small ray of light in the darkness and hoped that his people could continue to smile in the days to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word Count - 2648. Ah. This is currently my favorite story to write, so I had a blast with this chapter! The curse's effects may be revealed in the next chapter. Not quite sure. If not that one though, then it'll be the one after. So what did you think? Let me know, I love reading your comments! And head on over to check out my [tumblr](https://ohanahoku-ao3.tumblr.com/) too!
> 
> We're going to be on mandatory house arrest soon, so maybe I'll be able to rack up some good writing time! That being said, please remember to wash your hands and maintain social distance if the virus is anywhere near your area. Let's all stay safe during this pandemic! Keeping you all in my thoughts and prayers! <3


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